Thursday, November 7, 2019

iTunes Store: Top 25 Books in Sports & Outdoors 2019-11-07

Ken Dryden - Scotty artwork Scotty
A Hockey Life Like No Other
Ken Dryden
Genre: Hockey
Price: $16.99
Publish Date: October 29, 2019
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

A hockey life like no other. A hockey book like no other. Scotty Bowman is recognized as the best coach in hockey history, and one of the greatest coaches in all of sports. He won more games and more Stanley Cups than anyone else. Remarkably, despite all the changes in hockey, he coached at the very top for more than four decades, his first Cup win and his last an astonishing thirty-nine years apart. Yet perhaps most uniquely, different from anyone else who has ever lived or ever will again, he has experienced the best of hockey continuously since he was fourteen years old. With his precious standing room pass to the Montreal Forum, he saw "Rocket" Richard play at his peak every Saturday night. He saw Gordie Howe as a seventeen-year-old just starting out. He scouted Bobby Orr as a thirteen-year-old in Parry Sound, Ontario. He coached Guy Lafleur and Mario Lemieux. He coached against Wayne Gretzky. For the past decade, as an advisor for the Chicago Blackhawks, he has watched Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Connor McDavid. He has seen it all up close .  Ken Dryden was a Hall-of-Fame goaltender with the Montreal Canadiens. His critically acclaimed and bestselling books have shaped the way we read and think about hockey.  Now the player and coach who won five Stanley Cups together team up once again. In Scotty , Dryden has given his coach a new test: Tell us about all these players and teams you've seen, but imagine yourself as their coach. Tell us about their weaknesses, not just their strengths. Tell us how you would coach them and coach against them. And then choose the top eight teams of all time, match them up against one another in a playoff series, and, separating the near-great from the great, tell us who would win. And why. This book is about a life—a hockey life, a Canadian life, a life of achievement. It is Scotty Bowman in his natural element, behind the bench one more time.



Nicholas Blincoe - More Noble Than War artwork More Noble Than War
A Soccer History of Israel-Palestine
Nicholas Blincoe
Genre: Soccer
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: October 29, 2019
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Seller: Hachette Digital, Inc.

By turns tragic and hopeful, the history of Israel and Palestine through the lens of the world's most popular sport Soccer has never been apolitical. This is especially true for Israel and Palestine. The game played a direct role in shaping the politics of both countries, and the view from the stands or the pitch shines a light on key moments in the region's volatile history. In More Noble Than War , Nicholas Blincoe weaves a dramatic narrative filled with driven players and coaches who are inspired as much by nationalism as a love of the game. Blincoe traces the history from the sport's introduction through church leagues, he rising tensions after the creation of Israel, and the decades of violence, war, and hunger strikes that have decimated teams. More Noble Than War is a must-read for soccer fans and anyone seeking a new understanding of the world's most intractable conflict.



Frank Weber - A Novice On the Nile - Big Game Hunting In the Sudan artwork A Novice On the Nile - Big Game Hunting In the Sudan
Frank Weber
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $5.99
Publish Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
Seller: READ BOOKS LTD

Originally published in the early 1900s. this extremely scarce hunting book is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition; we have now republished it using the original text and photographs. This is an enthralling true account of Frank Weber's first hunting trip along the White Nile in the Upper Sudan. Accompanied by a lifelong friend and experienced hunter he sets forth from England via Trieste and Alexandria, through Cairo to Khartum, then joined by native guides and bearers, they begin their hunt along the banks of the Nile. Equipped with double .470's, light magazine rifles, a 10 Bore, and shotguns, they seek to take a number of specimens from the area's big game population. Their list of quarry include elephant, buffalo, eland, ibex, waterbuck, various gazelle, kob, "Mrs Gray", crocodiles and hippo's. etc. Fifty four pages are packed with exciting anecdotes of their often dangerous attempts to bag specimens of each of these. The book also contains a number of early black and white trophy photographs and an area map. The author professes to be a novice hunter, but guided by his more experienced companion ends the safari with a fair share of the total bag. This small book is a fascinating record of early big game hunting in one of the more inaccessible hunting grounds of Africa, and will prove of much interest to all sportsmen and historians of that era. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1800s, are now extremely scarce and very expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.



David Leadbetter & Ron Kaspriske - The A Swing artwork The A Swing
The Alternative Approach to Great Golf
David Leadbetter & Ron Kaspriske
Genre: Golf
Price: $15.99
Publish Date: May 12, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Seller: Macmillan

A National Bestseller! David Leadbetter is the most recognized golf instructor in the history of the game. His new book, The A Swing , is his first for a decade and is an evolution of his swing theories that have successfully helped thousands of golfers globally. His tour players, whom he has coached over the years, have amassed 19 major golf championships. David has been prolific during his 30+ year career in producing books, videos, teaching aids that have inspired golfers of every level to reach their potential. The A Swing - A stands for Alternative - is a simple way to swing the club, which follows biomechanically sound, scientific principles, and only requires minimal practice. The A Swing has been thoroughly tested with a wide range of players, from tour level to beginner, junior to senior, and the results overall have been nothing short of dramatic. The A Swing is a way to develop a consistent, repetitive motion which will improve accuracy and distance, and is easy on the body. It will fix many of golf's common faults, and the book takes you through an easy, step-by-step approach. With over 200 illustrations, easy drills, and the 7-Minute Practice Plan, golfers now have the opportunity to play the way they've always dreamed of. Golf is a frustrating game, even for the top players, but the A Swing will make it easier and more fun. It could really change the way the game has been taught, which hasn't changed for years - it is not an exact method, and has leeway for individualism. David is excited that the A Swing will help golfers the world over enjoy the game more. In essence, the A Swing is a shortcut to great golf. Whatever your level of play is now, whatever your goals, however you've been struggling with the game, the A Swing could change your golfing life.



Mark Broadie - Every Shot Counts artwork Every Shot Counts
Using the Revolutionary Strokes Gained Approach to Improve Your Golf Performance and Strategy
Mark Broadie
Genre: Golf
Price: $18.99
Publish Date: March 06, 2014
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie’s paradigm-shifting approach that uses statistics and golf analytics to transform the game.    Mark Broadie is at the forefront of a revolutionary new approach to the game of golf.  What does it take to drop ten strokes from your golf score? What part of Tiger Woods’ game makes him a winner? Traditional golf stats can't answer these questions. Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School, helped the PGA Tour develop its cutting-edge strokes gained putting stat. In this eye-opening new book, Broadie uses analytics from the financial world to uncover the secrets of the game of golf. He crunches mountains of data to show both professional and amateur golfers how to make better decisions on the course.  This eagerly awaited resource is for any player who wants to understand the pros, improve golf skills, and make every shot count.



Rafael Nadal & John Carlin - Rafa artwork Rafa
Rafael Nadal & John Carlin
Genre: Racket Sports
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: August 23, 2011
Publisher: Hachette Books
Seller: Hachette Digital, Inc.

What makes a champion? What does it take to be the best in the world at your sport? Rafael Nadal has the answers. In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, he reveals the secrets of his game and shares the inspiring personal story behind his success. It begins in Mallorca, where the tight-knit Nadal family has lived for generations. Coached by his uncle Toni from the age of four and taught humility and respect by his parents, Nadal has managed the uncommon feat of becoming an acclaimed global celebrity while remaining a gracious, hardworking role model for people in all walks of life. Now he takes us behind the scenes, from winning the Wimbledon 2008 final-described by John McEnroe as "the greatest game of tennis" he had ever seen-to the family problems that brought him low in 2009 and the numerous injuries that have threatened his career. With candor and intelligence, Nadal brings readers on his dramatic and triumphant journey, never losing sight of the prize he values above all others: the unity and love of his family. From RAFA: "During a match, you are in a permanent battle to fight back your everyday vulnerabilities, bottle up your human feelings. The more bottled up they are, the greater your chances of winning, so long as you've trained as hard as you play and the gap in talent is not too wide between you and your rival. The gap in talent with Federer existed, but it was not impossibly wide. It was narrow enough, even on his favorite surface in the tournament he played best, for me to know that if I silenced the doubts and fears, and exaggerated hopes, inside my head better than he did, I could beat him. You have to cage yourself in protective armor, turn yourself into a bloodless warrior. It's a kind of self-hypnosis, a game you play, with deadly seriousness, to disguise your own weaknesses from yourself, as well as from your rival."



Captain Grant Headifen - Maneuvering Under Power artwork Maneuvering Under Power
How to Safely Maneuver Your Sailboat In Tight Quarters
Captain Grant Headifen
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: April 04, 2014
Publisher: NauticEd International Sailing School
Seller: Gibraltar Holding Ventures LLC

Maneuvering a sailboat under power is one of the most over looked and under taught NECESSARY skills. When sailing in open waters it’s reasonably difficult to hit something so long as you have a proper watch out, radar and navigation skills. When maneuvering around in the marina it’s reasonably easy and common to hit something namely the dock or other boats. And of course hitting something is expensive and embarrassing. This popular NauticEd course will show you how to feel confident and competent in a marina.



Ken Dryden - The Game: 30th Anniversary Edition artwork The Game: 30th Anniversary Edition
Ken Dryden
Genre: Hockey
Price: $11.99
Publish Date: October 22, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Seller: Harper Collins Canada Limited

Widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written and lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, The Game is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Ken Dryden, the former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. He gives us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters—Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard and coach Scotty Bowman among them—who made the Canadiens of the 1970s one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But beyond that, Dryden reflects on life on the road, in the spotlight and on the ice, offering up a rare inside look at the game of hockey and an incredible personal memoir. This commemorative edition marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Game’s original publication. It includes a new foreword by Bill Simmons, new photography and a new chapter, “The Game Goes On.” Take a journey to the heart and soul of the game with this timeless hockey classic.



Teemu Selänne & Ari Mennander - My Life artwork My Life
Teemu Selänne & Ari Mennander
Genre: Hockey
Price: $16.99
Publish Date: October 22, 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Seller: Harper Collins Canada Limited

Teemu Selanne, nicknamed the Finnish Flash, exploded in his rookie season for the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, scoring a record 76 goals, tying for the league lead, winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie and making the all-star team. Far from fading in his sophomore season, Selanne proved to be no flash in the pan, scoring more than a point a game, and going on to score 684 goals and 1,457 points over his astonishing 21-year career with the Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. He scored another 44 goals and 88 points in the playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup with Anaheim. Selanne still holds the record for most goals and assists by a rookie in NHL history and the most points in a season. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017—only the second Finn (after Jari Kurri) ever elected to the Hall. Teemu Selanne is unquestionably hockey royalty, having won countless accolades during his storied career. This deep dive into the life of a unique superstar, top athlete and family man shows that such success and longevity have not come without their hurdles. How did a young man from Helsinki mature into a world-class player, one of the all-time best? What kind of personal obstacles did Selanne encounter, and how did he manage the immense pressure of representing his country and striving for his sport’s top prizes? Featuring never-before-told stories from Selanne’s NHL years with the Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche, as well as rare colour photos from his personal collection, this is an essential read for all hockey fans.



Bret Contreras - Glute Lab artwork Glute Lab
The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training
Bret Contreras
Genre: Training
Price: $39.99
Publish Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Victory Belt Publishing
Seller: Victory Belt Publishing, Inc.

Improve your physique, build lean muscle, increase strength -- "Glute Lab" is the all-in-one glute training system that will teach you how to do all this and more. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most versatile muscle in the human body. In addition to being aesthetically appealing and controlling a wide range of functional movements, big, strong glutes set you up to lift heavier, jump higher, sprint faster, and swing harder and can even play a role in preventing knee, hip, and lower back pain and injuries. Your glutes influence every aspect of your physical life: from the way you look and how you feel to your ability to run, jump, cut, lift, and twist. Yet few understand how to properly build and develop this all-important muscle.   Enter "Glute Lab." In this book, Bret "The Glute Guy" Contreras -- PhD, personal trainer, and bestselling author -- lays out a glute training system that will help you reach your strength, performance, and physique goals. Through descriptive narrative, step-by-step images and illustrations, and easy-to-follow training programs, the Glute Guy distills the science and art of glute training into one comprehensive manual. Whether you're a bodybuilder, physique competitor, athlete, powerlifter, CrossFitter, personal trainer, physical therapist, or simply someone who wants to improve your physique, this book contains everything you need to know about building bigger, stronger, leaner, higher-performing glutes. In this book, you will learn:   - The fundamentals of optimal glute training - How to perform the most effective glute-building exercises - How to select exercises based on your goals and body type - Variations for the hip thrust, deadlift, and squat exercises - The science behind how muscle develops and grows - The anatomy and function of the glutes - How to design a customized glute-training program - Techniques and programs for sculpting rounder, stronger glutes - The importance of glute training for aesthetics, health, strength, and performance - How glute training can prevent knee, hip, and low back injuries and pain - Strategies for targeting different areas of the glutes and lower body - More than 30 glute burnout circuits and workouts.



Andre Agassi - Open artwork Open
Andre Agassi
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $25.99
Publish Date: April 27, 2011
Publisher: Plon
Seller: Interforum, S.A.

Le parcours hors du commun d'un des plus grands athlètes de notre temps qui a choisi d'utiliser son succès pour changer le monde. " J'ai sept ans et je parle tout seul parce que je suis effrayé et parce que je suis le seul qui veuille bien m'écouter. Je murmure entre mes dents. Abandonne, Andre, laisse tomber. Pose ta raquette et va-t'en de ce court, immédiatement. (...) Est-ce que ce ne serait pas une bonne idée ? Est-ce que ça ne ressemblerait pas au paradis, Andre ? De laisser tomber ? De ne plus jamais jouer au tennis ? " Andre Agassi déteste le tennis. Il a joué vingt ans, poussé par un père tyrannique, s'est battu, porté par la rage de vaincre, il a gagné souvent, échoué parfois, mais surtout il a toujours électrisé les foules. Et l'engouement du public pour l'athlète doit beaucoup à l'homme qu'il est, son charisme et sa force, sa vérité. Et c'est ainsi qu'il se livre ici, sans concession ni masque, sulfureux parfois, humain surtout. De ses erreurs à ses conquêtes, du chaos punk des années 1980 à sa Fondation dédiée aux enfants défavorisés, le " kid de Las Vegas " revient sur son parcours extraordinaire, celui d'un homme qui a choisi d'utiliser son succès pour changer le monde.



Gérard Guerrier - Eloge de la peur - A l'usage des aventuriers et des baroudeurs du quotidien artwork Eloge de la peur - A l'usage des aventuriers et des baroudeurs du quotidien
Gérard Guerrier
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $21.99
Publish Date: April 18, 2019
Publisher: Paulsen
Seller: Interforum, S.A.

La peur est au cœur de nos sociétés. Elle nous surprend, nous paralyse, nous fragilise. Pourtant des femmes et des hommes choisissent de la vivre au quotidien en prenant des risques et en exposant leur vie. Un ouvrage préfacé par Bertrand Piccard. Ce sont les aventuriers, les explorateurs, les sportifs de l'extrême. Pourquoi ont-ils choisi de vivre dangereusement malgré la peur ? Quel rôle joue-t-elle dans leur vie ? Est-il possible ou même souhaitable de la maîtriser ? Quel est leur secret ? Leur force ? Que peuvent-ils nous apprendre afin de l'éviter ou de mieux la vivre ? Pour mieux comprendre ces peurs choisies, Gérard Guerrier s'est tourné aussi bien vers des philosophes que vers des neuroscientifiques et des psychiatres. Surtout, il s'est entretenu de longues heures avec de nombreux aventuriers et sportifs de l'extrême, comme Isabelle Autissier, Pierre Mazeaud, Géraldine Fasnacht, Loïck Peyron, Stéphanie Bodet, Bertrand Piccard. Ici, philosophes et sociologues, base-jumpers et freeriders, explorateurs, montagnards et marins dialoguent par-delà l'histoire et la géographie, le temps et l'espace sur la peur, leurs peurs. Et, comme en la matière, rien ne vaut l'intime, Gérard Guerrier nous livre également ses peurs vécues... de la simple appréhension à la terreur pure.



Grant Fuhr & Bruce Dowbiggin - Grant Fuhr artwork Grant Fuhr
The Story of a Hockey Legend
Grant Fuhr & Bruce Dowbiggin
Genre: Hockey
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

The Hall of Fame story of Grant Fuhr, the first black superstar in the National Hockey League and the last line of defense for the Edmonton Oilers dynasty, told through Fuhr's 10 most important games. Grant Fuhr was the best goalie in the league at a time when hockey was at its most exciting. Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers were arguably the greatest team in league history, and during the 1980s arguably the most popular team across the United States, even if many had little idea where Edmonton was. They were that good. And so was Fuhr: Gretzky called him the best goaltender in the world. Fuhr broke the colour barrier for NHL goaltenders when he played his first game for the Oilers in 1981, and was an inspiration for later players including future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. But in addition to their dynastic run of Stanley Cup championships, the Oilers were also synonymous with the excesses of the decade: Fuhr himself was suspended for substance use, a discredit he had to fight back from--and did, going on to set career records and earning election to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.



Arnold Schwarzenegger - Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men artwork Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $18.99
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Seller: Simon & Schuster Canada

The complete program for building and maintaining a well-conditioned, excellently proportioned body -- for a lifetime of fitness and health. In Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men, legendary athlete Arnold Schwarzenegger shows you how to achieve the best physical condition of your life. For every man, at every age, Arnold outlines a step-by-step program of excercise, skillfully combining weight training and aerobic conditioning. The result -- total cardiovascular and muscular fitness. Arnold's program of exercise features stretching, warm-up and warm-down routines, and three series of exercises, each more ambitious than the last, all calculated to help you progress at your own speed. In addition, Arnold contributes important advice about equipment, nutrition and diet, and getting started on your program of exercise. Special sections of Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men cover training for teenagers, exercises designed to keep you in shape on the road or when you can't get to the gym, and the regimen Arnold followed to win his seven Mr. Olympia titles. Illustrated with hundreds of photographs of Arnold and other top bodybuilders, Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men will help every man look great and feel terrific.



Dave Kuehls - Four Months to a Four-Hour Marathon artwork Four Months to a Four-Hour Marathon
Everything a Runner Needs to Know About Gear, Diet, Training, Pace, Mind-set, Burnout, Shoes, Fluids, Schedules, Goals, & Race Day
Dave Kuehls
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $12.99
Publish Date: July 01, 1998
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

Let Four Months to a Four-Hour Marathon be your personal trainer. Whether you’re a competitive veteran or a recreational beginner, this essential guide will tell you exactly what to eat, what to wear, what to expect, and how to train. When race day arrives, author Dave Kuehls, contributing editor at Runner’s World and a marathoner himself, will have you in the best shape of your life—physically and mentally. All you have to do is take the first step. Four Months to a Four-Hour Marathon includes: • Day-by-day training schedules for 4-hour and 5-hour marathoners • Detailed diet plans • The marathoner’s mind-set • Right and wrong things to wear • How to pick the right sneakers • Pain vs. performance—how far to go • Common pitfalls to avoid—in training and during the race • A list of the 36 marathons in North America where you can run the fastest times



A J Baime - Go Like Hell artwork Go Like Hell
Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans
A J Baime
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $12.99
Publish Date: June 17, 2010
Publisher: HMH Books
Seller: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

The epic story also told in the film FORD V. FERRARI: By the early 1960s, the Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Young Henry Ford II, who had taken the reins of his grandfather’s company with little business experience to speak of, knew he had to do something to shake things up. Baby boomers were taking to the road in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari, whose cars epitomized style, lorded it over the European racing scene. He crafted beautiful sports cars, "science fiction on wheels," but was also called "the Assassin" because so many drivers perished while racing them. Go Like Hell tells the remarkable story of how Henry Ford II, with the help of a young visionary named Lee Iacocca and a former racing champion turned engineer, Carroll Shelby, concocted a scheme to reinvent the Ford company. They would enter the high-stakes world of European car racing, where an adventurous few threw safety and sanity to the wind. They would design, build, and race a car that could beat Ferrari at his own game at the most prestigious and brutal race in the world, something no American car had ever done. Go Like Hell transports readers to a risk-filled, glorious time in this brilliant portrait of a rivalry between two industrialists, the cars they built, and the "pilots" who would drive them to victory, or doom.



Allen Hedrick - Dumbbell Training artwork Dumbbell Training
Allen Hedrick
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $15.99
Publish Date: June 10, 2019
Publisher: Human Kinetics, Inc.
Seller: Human Kinetics, Inc.

One of the most versatile and effective forms of equipment, dumbbells have long been part of the training formula for building strength and power and toning the entire body. Now in Dumbbell Training, Second Edition, former NSCA Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Allen Hedrick describes how to use dumbbells as a primary mode of training and shows how dumbbells can be an excellent alternative to traditional barbell workouts for just about anyone. Whether you are an athlete wanting to improve your sport performance or a fitness enthusiast wanting to improve upon your current exercise regime, you can use dumbbells to achieve your goals related to fitness, weight loss, increased muscle mass, or improved athletic performance. Hedrick, the former strength and conditioning coach at the United States Olympic Training Center, guides you through proven exercises and programs based on more than 25 years of experience working with athletes. The book is loaded with more than 110 exercises targeting the core, upper body, lower body, and total body. Exercises feature a variety of variations and are supplemented with photos and concisely written exercise descriptions, making it easy to understand each exercise and implement it on your own. Did You Know? sidebars offer interesting details and tips about the use of dumbbell exercises. You’ll also find 66 ready-to-use programs that target your specific goals. Fitness-oriented plans will help you with fat loss, general fitness, hypertrophy, and strength, while athletes will find plans for increasing power, speed, agility, and balance in eight popular sports: cycling, ice hockey, skiing, soccer, speed skating, swimming, track and field, and wrestling. If you train with dumbbells, or are interested in starting a dumbbell training program, Dumbbell Training will put you on the path to a refined physique or improved performance.  



Brian Kenny - Ahead of the Curve artwork Ahead of the Curve
Inside the Baseball Revolution
Brian Kenny
Genre: Baseball
Price: $11.99
Publish Date: July 05, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Seller: Simon & Schuster Canada

“A delight for baseball lovers” ( Kirkus Reviews ) and “one of the most significant baseball books of the year” (Bob Costas) Ahead of the Curve uses stories from baseball’s present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic. Forget batting average. Kill the “Win.” Say goodbye to starting pitchers. And please, please stop bunting. MLB Network anchor and commentator Brian Kenny provides “an excellent, entertaining read for the all-around baseball fan” ( Library Journal ) and shows how baseball has been revolutionized—not destroyed—by analytical thinking. Most people who resist logical thought in baseball preach “tradition” and “respecting the game.” But many of baseball’s traditions go back to the nineteenth century, when the pitcher’s job was to provide the batter with a ball he could hit and fielders played without gloves. Instead of fearing change, Brian Kenny wants fans to think critically, reject outmoded groupthink, and embrace the changes that have come with the sabermetric era. In his entertaining and enlightening book, Kenny discusses why the pitching win-loss record, the Triple Crown, fielding errors, and so-called battling titles should be ignored. He also points out how fossilized sportswriters have been electing the wrong MVP’s and ignoring legitimate candidates for the Hall of Fame; why managers are hired based on their looks; and how the most important position in baseball may just be “Director of Decision Sciences.” “Prepare to have your brain and your assumptions challenged. Guided by data and a deep love of the game, Brian Kenny takes a cutting-edge look at where baseball is and where it is going” (Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated ). Illustrated with unique anecdotes from those who have reshaped the game, Ahead of the Curve is “a great story about the game in the age of information and technology” (Billy Beane).



Rich Hargitt - Coaching the Air Raid Offense artwork Coaching the Air Raid Offense
Interactive Edition
Rich Hargitt
Genre: Football
Price: $39.99
Publish Date: December 24, 2015
Publisher: Coaches Choice
Seller: Monterey Bay Productions, LLC

This spread offense resource explains all aspects of the air raid system and includes particular information about everything coaches need to know to run the scheme: philosophy, personnel, practice plan, formations, no-huddle communication, run plays, screen plays, quick passing game, dropback passing game, and game planning.   Jam packed with over 75 pieces of game film, interactive tools, rules to plays, and interactive play calling communication



Cole Louison - The Impossible artwork The Impossible
Rodney Mullen, Ryan Sheckler, and the Fantastic History of Skateboarding
Cole Louison
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $11.99
Publish Date: August 30, 2013
Publisher: Lyons Press
Seller: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group

Skateboarding:  the background, technicality, culture, rebellion, marketing, conflict, and future of the global sport as seen through two of its most influential geniuses Since it all began half a century ago, skateboarding has come to mystify some and to mesmerize many, including its tens of millions of adherents throughout America and the world. And yet, as ubiquitous as it is today, its origins, manners, and methods are little understood.The Impossible aims to get skateboarding right. Journalist Cole Louison gets inside the history, culture, and major personalities of skating. He does solargely by recounting the careers of the sport’s Yoda—Rodney Mullen, who, in his mid-forties, remains the greatest skateboarder in the world, the godfather of all modern skateboarding tricks—and its Luke Skywalker—Ryan Sheckler, who became its youngest pro athlete and a celebrity at thirteen. The story begins in the 1960s, when the first boards made their way to land in the form of off-season surfing in southern California. It then follows the sport’s spikes, plateaus, and drops—including its billion-dollar apparel industry and its connection with art, fashion, and music.In The Impossible, we come to know intimately not only skateboarding, but also two very different, equally fascinating geniuses who have shaped the sport more than anyone else.



Kelly McCann - Combatives for Street Survival artwork Combatives for Street Survival
Hard-Core Countermeasures for High-Risk Situations
Kelly McCann
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $25.99
Publish Date: May 01, 2009
Publisher: Black Belt Communications
Seller: Chicago Review Press, Inc. DBA Independent Publishers Group

Leading the reader through simple yet powerful, brutally effective methods of self-defense designed for use in myriad street crime scenarios, this guide explains the use of force continuum and teaches how to efficiently avoid potentially violent encounters though the use of "pre-incident indicators." The techniques depicted are credible, relevant, practicable, and utilized by members of elite military units and U.S. government personnel traveling abroad to high-risk areas of operation. The philosophy of "less is more" results in a succinct system of self-defense that is drawn from the author’s experiences as well as the collective experience of his students around the world.



Tim S Grover - Relentless artwork Relentless
From Good to Great to Unstoppable
Tim S Grover
Genre: Basketball
Price: $12.99
Publish Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: Scribner
Seller: Simon & Schuster Canada

For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of relentless competitors in sports, business, and every walk of life—and made them greater. Now, for the first time ever, he reveals what it takes to achieve total mental and physical dominance, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire. Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable: you keep going when everyone else is giving up, you thrive under pressure, you never let your emotions make you weak. In “The Relentless 13,” he details the essential traits shared by the most intense competitors and achievers in sports, business, and all walks of life. Relentless shows you how to trust your instincts and get in the Zone; how to control and adapt to any situation; how to find your opponent’s weakness and attack. Grover gives you the same advice he gives his world-class clients—“don’t think”—and shows you that anything is possible. Packed with previously untold stories and unparalleled insight into the psyches of the most successful and accomplished athletes of our time, Relentless shows you how even the best get better . . . and how you can too.



Jonny Bell - Sports Psychology: Inside the Athlete's Mind - Peak Performance: High Performance artwork Sports Psychology: Inside the Athlete's Mind - Peak Performance: High Performance
Jonny Bell
Genre: Coaching
Price: $3.99
Publish Date: September 21, 2015
Publisher: JB Publishing Co
Seller: Draft2Digital, LLC

Sports Psychology: Inside the Athlete's Mind Have You Ever Wanted To Improve Your Performance? No matter what sport you play, there are always problems with confidence and motivation that can get in the way of actually using all of the skills that you have been working to build through your entire life. That is where Sports Psychology: Inside the Athlete's Mind comes in. With the help of "Sports Psychology: Inside the Athlete's Mind", you will be able to: Build confidence that helps you become unstoppable. Visualize your way to success so that you know what to expect. Set goals that will help you measure improvements and strive towards specific markers. Learn how to help others to do the same. By combining simple techniques with a high quality understanding of psychology, you will have everything at your disposal to take your performance to the next level and find success that you never thought possible previously. Become the athlete you are capable of by reading "Sports Psychology: Inside the Athlete's Mind"



Peter Heller - Hell or High Water artwork Hell or High Water
Surviving Tibet's Tsango River
Peter Heller
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $10.99
Publish Date: May 06, 2014
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

From the bestselling author of The Dog Stars , the true story of an elite kayaking team's heroic conquest of the world’s last great adventure prize: Tibet's Tsangpo River. The Tsangpo Gorge in southeastern Tibet has lured explorers and adventurers since its discovery. Sacred to the Buddhists, the inspiration for Shangri La, the Gorge is as steeped in legend and mystery as any spot on earth. As a river-running challenge, the remote Tsangpo is relentlessly unforgiving, more difficult than any stretch of river ever attempted. Its mysteries have withstood a century's worth of determined efforts to explore it's length. The finest expedition paddlers on earth have tried. Several have died. All have failed. Until now. In the heart of the Himalayan winter, a team of seven kayakers launched a meticulously planned assault of the Gorge. The paddlers were river cowboys, superstars in the universe of extreme kayaking. Accompanying them was author Peter Heller, a world-class kayaker in his own right. Filled with history, white-knuckle drama, and mutiny in one of the world's most storied-and remote-locations,  Hell or High Water  is the riveting story of this adventure.



Royal Yachting Association - RYA Competent Crew Skills (E-CCPCN) artwork RYA Competent Crew Skills (E-CCPCN)
Royal Yachting Association
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Price: $17.99
Publish Date: March 22, 2018
Publisher: Royal Yachting Association
Seller: Royal Yachting Association

RYA Competent Crew Skills  is the official companion for the RYA’s popular Competent Crew Course. Over 12,000 people, with no sailing experience, successfully complete the course every year.  This book has been written using the experience of hundreds of experienced instructors. The techniques shown are tried and tested and suitable for most types of cruisers. It is designed to assist you in understanding new concepts and in particular to help you remember some of the unique terminology that is used in the world of boating.  It is an excellent starting point for those undertaking their first boating experience in order to make sense of the first few days on board or as a handy reference book for those returning to the sport after time away from it. The new edition has been updated to include motor vessels in order to appeal to both sail and power readers; the illustrations have been completely modernised and video clips bring the content to life in this digital edition.